Sad and Pregnant
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Sad and Pregnant
| Thu, 01-06-2005 - 10:49am |
I am fourteen weeks pregnant and happy that my husband and I are expecting. I have had a couple of bad years though that have made me really depressed and stressed out. I don't think the anxiety can be good for the baby. I don't know how to cope. Sometimes it take all I have to get out of bed in the morning.

As someone who has been through three very different pregnancies, I just wanted to let you know that what you are experiencing is not that uncommon. Its just that it is rarely talked about, because pg women sometimes feel guilty about being depressed when they are actually quite happy about the pregnancy. My personal view (and I'm not an expert) is that women who supress the depression during pregnancy are possibly more prone to post-natal depression.
My best suggestion is that you talk to your health care provider (your midwife, gynae or whoever) about this. There are anti-depressants that are safe to take during pregnancy, if its even needed. Perhaps just a counsellor would work. But you wont know until you ask. And asking is the hardest part (I know this, cos I hate asking for help). But it is the best thing that you can do for you, and ultimately, for your baby. You need to take care of you first, otherwise you wont be able to be there for your baby when it arrives.
Pregnancy is a very stressful time, and women are often conned into thinking that its all going to be a bed of roses and that you should be sunshine and light all the time. It doesn't work like that. You have about a zillion hormones zapping around your body, your body is changing, you may be sick all the time, your sleeping patterns may be disrupted, and you pretty much have very little control over what your body is doing. Plus there are all the things that go along with pregnancy - the planning, the financial outlay, the concern about being a good parent, worrying about your health, your babies health, whether you'll cope. All stressful. All normal things that are often seldom talked about.
I was fortunate to have a very supportive gynae, particularly with my last two pregnancies. I also found a wonderful forum for mums in the same month of pregnancy on babycentre.co.uk (there is also a .com version). Chatting to them, and sharing symptoms, worries and whatever with them was very helpful.
I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. You are welcome to contact me if you want to chat.